Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University baseball squad is back at home this weekend, welcoming Oregon rival Linfield to PLU Field for a three-game Northwest Conference series.
Series History: The Lutes and Wildcats have met 161 times on the diamond since the 1980 season with Linfield winning the last four meetings and enjoying a 101-60 edge in the series.
The Wildcats swept the season series last year in Tacoma, winning 12-7, 6-1, and 4-3. The two squads met earlier this season on Feb. 21 in McMinnville with the host Wildcats squeaking out a 7-6 victory despite being outhit by the Lutes.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (7-13, 4-8 NWC) busted out of a five-game funk on Saturday, downing host Willamette University 11-0 behind a big performance from first-year pitcher Alex Lopez.
Lopez allowed just four hits and two walks in the win, notching the program's first complete game shutout since 2022. Lopez also became the first Lute freshman to get a complete game shutout since Jonathan Cohen did so against Linfield in 2021 and the first nine-inning complete game shutout since Justin Armbruester did it against George Fox in 2018.
The rest of the weekend wasn't as rosy for the Lutes, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Bearcats in game two of the doubleheader before stumbling 11-0 in the series finale on Sunday.
Aaron Barber had a big weekend at the plate, hitting .500 with a .583 on-base percentage while Brody Phinney hit .417 with three runs scored.
Aaron Barber is PLU's leading hitter through the first 20 games of 2025, boasting a .387 batting average with a team-high 18 RBIs. Brody Phinney is hitting at a .349 clip with 17 runs scored while Rutger Youch is hitting .325 and provides speed on the base paths with 14 stolen bases. Ethan Keintz is the fourth Lute hitting above .300, checking in at .313 with seven extra base hits and 15 RBIs.
Matthew Sherwood has been a workhorse on the mound, pitching a team-best 27 2/3 innings with 18 strikeouts and a 6.51 earned run average. Alex Lopez boasts a 3.42 ERA with 15 strikeouts and a 2-1 record. Chris Moreno has 18 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings of action while Kamryn Swartz has 14 strikeouts.
About the Wildcats: Linfield (12-9, 5-4 NWC) heads to Tacoma having won six of its last seven games. The Wildcats recent run began on March 22, taking the second half of a twin bill against Willamette University 10-4. The following day the Cats earned the series win with a 7-4 triumph.
Since then, Linfield has amassed non-conference wins at the expense of California Lutheran University (5-3), Occidental College (9-7 and 16-3), and Bushnell University. The Wildcats lone blemish during that stretch was a 5-0 setback to Oxy in the series finale.
Tuesday's win over Bushnell saw host Linfield jump out to an early 4-1 lead after two innings of play with Elijah Maris the standout at the plate after going three-for-five with three RBIs.
Luke Porter leads Linfield at the dish with a .308 average with six home runs and 19 RBIs. Josh Mansur checks in with a .297 average with 13 RBIs and a team-best 21 runs scored.
Jake Swanson owns a 3-2 record on the mound with a team-best 42 strikeouts in 36 innings of action. Camden Oram has 25 punch outs and a 2-0 record while Zach Johnson is 3-1 with 25 punch outs. Colton Ouellette has four saves in nine appearances, boasting 19 strikeouts in just 13 2/3 innings of work.
Bow Down to PLU
Pacific Lutheran (6-7, 3-3 NWC) picked up a historic win on March 18, unseating the Washington Huskies 3-1 at Husky Ballpark. Rochne Beecham belted a two-RBi double in the second inning while Ethan Keintz added a solo home run in the fourth.
PLU's pitching staff was dialed in. Chris Moreno, Kamryn Swartz and Matt Sherwood combined for six strikeouts while allowing just one run with Moreno earning the win and Sherwood collecting the save.
It was PLU's first game against the Huskies since 2001 when current Head Coach Nolan Soete was a freshman infielder for the program. The Lute win was the program's first over UW since 1982 and was the first non-Division I team to etch a victory over a Power 4 program this season and the first D3 win over a Power 4 since 2022.
Chasing 200
Head Coach Nolan Soete enters the weekend just five wins shy of 200 for his career. A 2006 Lute graduate, Soete has been with the program since 2007 as an assistant before taking the reins as head coach in 2016. His nine year tenure at the helm has seen the Lutes make six trips to the NWC Tournament, win the 2016 NWC Tournament and the 2018 NWC regular season title.
A Hero on and off the Diamond
Three home runs. One saved life. Pacific Lutheran University's Carson Burke redefined what it means to be a hero on and off the diamond in under 72 hours. The junior delivered game-changing hits to win the weekend series against Northwest Conference rival Lewis & Clark College before transitioning to a life-saving donor, flying to Texas for a critical stem cell donation to a blood cancer patient in need.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Lutes of Summer
PLU baseball's Aaron Barber had an exciting summer, culminating in winning a West Coast League title with the Portland Pickles.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace in 2022 through the department's partnership with Opendorse. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
Last spring, PLU became just the second Division III school in the nation and the first school in any division in the State of Washington to partner with Athlete's Thread. Athlete's Thread allows every Lute student-athlete to sell customizable gear and jerseys with their name and number and receive monetary compensation for a portion of each sale. Check out the link above to order your gear today!
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Next Home Game:
April 11 vs. Chapman at 2 p.m.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu